


Three Is Not A Crowd

by LightsOut



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Powers, BAMF Phil Coulson, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Healthy Relationships, Polyamory, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-16
Updated: 2015-01-16
Packaged: 2018-03-07 20:50:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3182693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightsOut/pseuds/LightsOut
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil’s in love with two guys. Unfortunately they’re in a relationship with each other and Phil would never do anything to break them apart when they were obviously so happy together. Luckily for Phil they both want him and they’re determined to prove to Phil that three isn’t always a crowd.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Three Is Not A Crowd

**Author's Note:**

> They’re all in their early twenties and get into all kinds of trouble. I had so much fun writing this. Oh, and communication in relationships is important so I hope I’ve conveyed that well within this fic.

Clint snatched one of Steve’s fries and Steve sought his revenge by stealing half of Clint’s burger. They fought half-heartedly and laughed loudly in the corner booth of the diner. Pepper watched Phil who was pointedly not watching the two attractive blonde men and inwardly she sighed.

She put down her phone, “I’m sorry about that. One of Bruce’s experiments made the microwave explode.”

It was a testament to how much Phil was distracted that he didn’t reply.

Pepper leaned forward, “If you want to go and join them I don’t mind.”

Phil stiffened, “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Phil, I know that you like them.”

Phil flinched, “I don’t and they’re together. I would never hurt either one of them by doing something inappropriate.”

“They like you too, Phil, and it’s not inappropriate if it’s mutual.”

“Leave it alone Pepper.”

“Oh, Phil. I’m just trying to help. When was the last time you saw them?”

Phil mumbled sadly, “Tony’s birthday party.”

“That was a month ago.”

“Yes, and I made a complete idiot out of myself. Your boyfriend is the devil.”

“I warned you about letting him top up your drink but nobody ever listens to me. Besides, you were perfectly fine. Everyone thought that you were great fun.”

“So now I’m only fun when I’m drunk?”

Pepper rolled her eyes, “I’m going shopping with Natasha. Please don’t sit here all afternoon by yourself.”

Phil sighed and kissed her cheek, “I’m sorry that I’m rotten company today. I’ve not been sleeping well.”

Pepper gave him a quick hug, “You’ll be okay. I’ll call you later.”

Pepper left and Phil stared moodily at his drink. Pepper was right that he’d not done anything particularly bad but he’d still sung ‘Wind beneath my wings’ into an empty wine bottle to Steve and Clint and then he’d proceeded to beat everybody at Mario Kart. From what he could remember he’d also gushed about his Captain America obsession and shown off the Captain America shield tattoo on his right shoulder. The rest of the night was mostly a blur of alcohol and pining for what he couldn’t have. He was determined to stay away from Tony Stark’s parties in the future even if Pepper begged him to go.

Someone cleared their throat at his side and Phil looked up. He almost swallowed his tongue in surprise as Clint was smiling down at him. Steve was still sitting in their booth and he gave Phil a small wave when he glanced at him. Clint and Steve were both good looking and Phil had trouble speaking to either of them without worrying that he was making an idiot out of himself.

Phil cleared his throat and eventually managed to speak, “Hello Clint.”

Clint sat down across from him and leaned forward, “Hey. We haven’t seen you in a while.”

Phil tried not to feel guilty, “Yeah, work’s been busy and I had a lot of college work to get through.”

Clint nodded, “Sure, Steve saw that Pepper left and we were wondering if you wanted to join us.”

Phil’s eyes widened slightly, “Oh, well, I don’t want to interrupt. You look like you’re having a fun date.”

Clint laughed lightly, “You wouldn’t be interrupting and our dates are always fun. We want you to join us.”

Phil had dreamt about hearing those words. He was mortified to realise that he was blushing furiously and he fidgeted uncomfortably, “I…”

Clint’s hand slid across the table to grab Phil’s and Phil jumped. Clint was still smiling at him, “If you don’t want to hang out with us that’s okay.”

Phil was convinced that nobody should be allowed to have such enchanting, colour-changing eyes, “If you really want me to join you…”

Clint stood up and tugged Phil along with him, “Perfect. Steve wants desert and there’s no way he’ll order it unless somebody else shares with him. If he didn’t order something with so much chocolate I’d help him out but he never does. You like chocolate, don’t you Phil?”

Completely lost in a haze of ‘oh-my-god-they-want-me-to-hang-out-with-them’ he just nodded dumbly and sat down across from Steve when Clint gently pushed him down. Phil was still blushing and he smiled nervously at Steve, “Hi.”

Steve smiled warmly, “Hi. Clint wasn’t too rough was he?”

Phil’s choked reply was lost under Clint’s laugh, “No such thing as too rough Steve, isn’t that right?”

They both grinned at each other and Phil just wanted to melt. They both turned back to Phil and Steve asked, “How are your classes going?”

Phil managed to pull himself together to answer Steve and the conversation didn’t stop after that. It was mostly between Steve and Phil but Clint would interject when he had something relevant to say. Before Phil knew it they’d been sitting together in the restaurant for two hours. Steve looked at his watch and said, “I need to get to work.”

Clint pouted a little bit and leaned in to kiss his boyfriend. Phil averted his eyes because it would be impolite to watch them and turned his attention back when Clint said, “I’ll walk with you. This was really fun Phil, we should do this again.”

Steve nodded in agreement as they both stood and grabbed their things, “It really was. Thank you for the nice date Phil.”

They both left as Phil was stunned into silence. Phil waited five minutes before he left the diner and he immediately called Pepper.

She answered straight away, “Hey Phil. Is everything okay?”

He blurted, “He said ‘date’!”

He could almost hear Pepper frowning, “Date? What are you talking about?”

Phil made himself take a deep breath and he explained what had happened after she’d left him at the diner. When he finished he said, “Why would he say ‘date’? Was it a joke?”

Pepper hummed, “Hang on a second, Phil.” There was the sound of mumbling voices, a sharp laugh and then Pepper was back to talking to him, “It was a date. Natasha just told me that Clint and Steve are very happy together but they both like you as well. They told each other about it because they’re very open about that sort of thing and they decided to ask you out together. People do live like that Phil. It’s not all one partner for the rest of your life whether you like them or not.”

Phil felt giddy and sick at the same time, “But they didn’t say anything before then.”

Pepper sighed loudly, “Phil, everyone knows that you’re shy – apart from the people who think that you’re a robot. They didn’t want to scare you off.”

Phil frowned, “The robot rumour isn’t funny Pepper.”

There was a rustling on Pepper’s end and then Phil was talking to the scariest red head on campus. She was also Clint’s best friend and one of Phil’s classmates, “If you hurt them they’ll never find the body.”

Phil gulped, “Nice to talk to you as well Natasha. How did you’re project go?”

“Fine. If you weren’t avoiding me and Clint then you would know. Don’t let bullshit social expectations hold you back from getting what you really want. Clint doesn’t give a shit if he’s in a polyamorous relationship so long as everyone’s happy and in love. As for Steve, his upbringing wasn’t as unusual as Clint’s but he’s willing to take a chance here because he likes you as much as Clint does. Trust me, they’ve had long conversations about this. Think about what you want and don’t screw this up Coulson. Just because people don’t talk about alternative relationships doesn’t mean that they don’t happen.”

Phil was taken aback, “You know a lot about this.”

“I like to be educated. Just because I’m not personally interested doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t know what I’m talking about.”

Phil smiled, “I didn’t say that you shouldn’t. Thank you Natasha.”

“No problem. Just don’t let me down Coulson. And, seriously, you should only do what’s best for you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Phil said goodbye to both Pepper and Natasha and he thought about what Natasha had told him the entire way home. Phil shared an apartment with his roommate Marcus, although everyone called him Nick Fury. Phil refused to admit that he was the one who started the name because of his obsession with Marvel comics and Nick passively aggressively punished him by refusing to wash dishes and leaving his dirty socks in the living room. Despite the apparent hostilities on the surface Nick and Phil were really good friends and they’d lived together for two years. Phil figured that if they’d not killed each other so far then they were going to be okay.

Nick wasn’t home so Phil kicked off his shoes and curled up on the sofa with his laptop. His assignment for one of his classes was still open but he was too distracted. Instead he brought up the internet browser and searched for the term Natasha had used. It was close to midnight when Nick walked through the door after his late night shift and Phil was still online.

Nick looked at the clock, “Phil? You’re not still working are you? It’s twelve o’clock at night and you have an early morning class.”

Phil blinked sleepily, “Oh? I didn’t realise what time it was. If you’re making a sandwich can I have one?”

Nick huffed and headed for the kitchen, “Did you forget to eat again? What the hell are you working on?”

Phil shuffled after him and rubbed his tired eyes, “I wasn’t working on anything for college. I was researching something that Natasha told me about.”

Nick narrowed his eyes at Phil and grabbed the sharpest knife from the block, “What has you so interested.”

Phil blushed because he’d not really expected to talk about it with anyone so soon, “Relationships, specifically alternative relationships. There’s a lot of different terms out there. Apparently Natasha identifies as asexual and aromantic which means that she’s not interested in a romantic or sexual relationship at all. Pepper is heterosexual while Tony is bisexual, so he’s interested in both guys and girls. It’s really fascinating.”

Nick looked flummoxed, “You’re not usually so interested in relationships. You’ve not been on a date since Jasper…”

Nick’s words trailed off but the reminder didn’t sting as much as it usually did for Phil. Phil reached for the sandwich Nick had made, “I know and Jasper was a bastard. I hope he’s completely miserable with that pretty boy, Ward. Despite that, I am completely over him and it feels so good to say that.”

Nick grunted and sat down at the table across from Phil with his own sandwich, “Alright, so what’s prompted the sudden interest?”

Phil took a bite of his sandwich and mumbled, “I was on a date with Clint and Steve. All three of us together.”

Phil’s words were garbled but Nick was too good to misunderstand and he dropped his sandwich, “What? How the fuck did that happen? I thought that you were pining for them both from afar and you were going to adopt a litter of cats or something.”

Phil rolled his eyes and pointed out, “You hate cats and I would never do anything to break up a relationship with a couple who was happy. That’s just stupid and evil. I was having dinner with Pepper and after she left Clint invited me over to join him and Steve. It wasn’t until the end that Steve said the word date and I called Pepper. Natasha put me straight about a few things.”

Phil could see Nick swallow back a straight/gay joke and he appreciated the restraint. Nick picked up his sandwich again, “I’ve got to say, Cheese, I didn’t think that you would have it in you. You wait two years for a guy to be interested in you and then two come along at once.”

Phil rolled his eyes, “Thanks, I think. Now I really do need to get some sleep before class tomorrow. Whoever thought that seven a.m. classes were a good idea needs a lobotomy.”

 

 

The next day Phil had two cups of coffee before he slid into his seat but he still felt half asleep. He jumped when somebody slid into the seat next to him and he would’ve glared at the noisy person but as soon as he realised it was Natasha he resisted the urge. Glaring at Natasha was only a good idea if you had a death wish.

She opened her folder and Phil hesitantly nudged the box of pastries towards her, “Would you like one?”

She smiled faintly at him, “Thank you.”

They were friends mostly because Natasha was shopping buddies with Pepper and Pepper was Phil’s best friend but they didn’t usually sit next to each other in class. Phil figured that Natasha was serious about checking if he was going to scare easily. Fortunately for Phil he wasn’t faint hearted even if he was unsure of his own appeal to other people.

Natasha didn’t say anything else until the class finished, “How was your research?”

Phil smiled, “Fascinating. Thank you for answering my questions. You didn’t have to.”

“I figured that it was the least I could do after springing all of that information on you. Do you ever do anything without researching it first?”

Phil shrugged, “Not if I don’t have to. I like to be prepared.”

Natasha nodded with approval, “Good, although, I’m not sure that anyone can be prepared for Clint. He likes to take people by surprise.”

Phil smiled, “I’ve noticed.”

Natasha grabbed his bag, “Come on. I’m meeting Clint and he can answer sexual orientation questions better than I can.”

Phil protested but it fell on deaf ears. He doubted that he was brave enough to actually ask any questions to the one person who was making him want answers in the first place. Since Natasha was holding his bag hostage he followed her dutifully. She waltzed into the coffee shop and handed him his bag, “The corner with the purple chairs. I’ll get you a drink.”

Phil followed her instructions because it was easier than arguing and he did want to see Clint. Since that Natasha was busy and he had a few moments Phil checked his Tumblr and reblogged a couple of pieces of Captain America fan art. He thanked Natasha when she handed him his boat-sized coffee and when she pulled out her phone and started texting Pepper they sat in silence while they both paid attention to their phones.

Clint’s voice broke them out of their mutual silence, “Phil?”

Phil looked up, “Hi. Natasha invited me to join you. I hope that’s okay.”

Clint sat down, “Sure, she just didn’t tell me.”

Natasha answered without stopping her rapid texting, “I don’t tell you a lot of things. Phil’s been looking up polyamorous relationships.”

Phil choked on his coffee and had his least sexy moment ever as he coughed and spluttered. Clint moved closer out of concern, “Oh god, Phil, are you okay?”

Phil nodded and Natasha handed him a bottle of water. When he could speak again he said, “Yeah, bad timing, I guess.”

Clint nodded and told Natasha, “I thought that we’d talked about this sort of thing. Not everyone is comfortable with talking about relationships so freely.”

Natasha shrugged, “This way he doesn’t have to build up the nerve to bring up the topic. He has questions and he was anxious about asking you.”

“Huh, that’s surprisingly nice of you.”

Natasha scowled, “Don’t start telling people that I’m nice.”

Clint chuckled, “Never. You’re badass Russian assassin reputation is safe.”

Phil laughed and when they both looked questioningly at him he said, “The rumours in this place are imaginative.”

Natasha smirked, “Personally, I like the one about Fury as the director of a secret spy organisation.”

Phil smiled, “I’ve not heard that one. He’ll like it though.”

Clint was worried, “Are you okay?”

Phil nodded and had another sip of water, “I’m fine. Natasha was right though. I was doing some research although she was the one who gave me the idea. I learned a lot last night.”

Clint looked oddly pleased, “Oh, well that’s good.”

Phil nodded, “I knew a little bit but, I had no idea that there was so much diversity.”

Clint smiled, “Yeah, well if you have any other questions I’m a lot more patient than Natasha.”

Natasha didn’t deny it. Phil was still feeling shy, “That’s good to know, really.”

Clint settled, “So, I take it that Natasha told you more than to just to research."

Phil nodded, “She told me that yesterday was a real date. You kind of took me by surprise with that.”

Clint looked unsure, “Was it good surprise or one that we’ll never have to talk about again?”

Phil let himself smile slightly, “Good, I think.”

Clint beamed, “Then that’s good. If you need to talk then you can ask me anything or you can ask Steve.”

“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Phil looked at his watch and frowned, “I have a work meeting that I need to get to.”

Phil would like to think that Clint looked disappointed. Clint nodded, “Alright, would you like to have dinner with Steve and me tomorrow night? Steve was worried that you were going to be upset or that we’d been too forward.”

Phil shook his head, “Not at all and I’d love to have dinner with you. Just text me the details and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Phil headed to work and he was feeling elated. He had a date with not just one handsome man but two. Work was mostly a blur and he panicked briefly about the prospect of his first real date (where he knew it was a date right from the beginning) in over two years. Thankfully Pepper was the best friend ever because she’d had his best slacks and shirt dry cleaned as soon as he texted her with the news.

Phil wasn’t completely sure about what he was expecting when he showed up at the restaurant. He was glad that he wasn’t overdressed but his mouth went dry when he came face to face with Steve and Clint who were also dressed up. Steve looked edible in a rich blue shirt and black slacks. Clint was devastatingly handsome in his purple shirt and black skinny jeans. Unbelievably they were both looking at Phil as if he was the most handsome one in the group.

Steve hugged Phil and then Clint took his place. They all sat down and Steve said, “I’m glad that you agreed to go out with us. I know that it’s not the most… conventional way to date.”

Phil nodded, “I’m not going to lie and say that I expected this or even hoped that I was lucky enough, but I am glad that I’m here.”

Steve’s jaw dropped a little, “Lucky enough? But, you’re Phil Coulson.”

Steve was saying his name like it was a big deal. Phil’s brow furrowed slightly, “I don’t know what you mean.”

Clint shook his head, “Natasha was right. You really don’t know. Phil, you’re practically legendary on campus. Everyone loves you. You’re so calm and kind and you had a great reputation even before that gas station robbery. Well, attempted robbery. The way you took them down and then just casually nodded to the cashier and paid for your drink. That was… so hot.”

Phil blushed. He still had no idea how the video of him stopping two desperate men from robbing the local gas station had found its way onto the internet for anyone to see, but Phil still suspected Nick. Phil shifted nervously, “I’m quiet and I work all the time. I don’t really see how that’s so impressive.”

Steve and Clint both reached out so that they were holding his hands. Clint smiled warmly, “Phil, you’re amazing.”

Phil blushed harder and Steve said, “Would it help if we stopped and started talking about what we want to eat?”

Phil laughed a little bit and nodded, “It might.”

Steve nodded and they both let Phil have his hands back. He refused to indulge the whining part of himself that missed the contact. He was starting to think that Nick’s joking was right and he was touch-starved. The evening was more relaxed as it continued and Phil was genuinely enjoying himself. Clint and Steve were both funny, attractive guys who seemed to like him against all odds and Phil was feeling very lucky.

After dinner they walked out of the restaurant and Steve was holding hands with Clint whilst his other arm was slung over Phil’s shoulder. Phil was laughing at one of Clint’s consistent dirty jokes and Steve was smiling fondly at them both. Clint suddenly pulled Steve and Phil in a random direction and called out, “We should go and see a film.”

They ended up spending another couple of hours at the cinema and because it was a comedy they spent most of the time laughing. When they walked out of the cinema Steve looked at his watch, “It’s almost midnight and Clint has archery practice in the morning. Can we walk you home, Phil?”

Phil smiled, “That’s be nice.”

Phil didn’t live very far away and he briefly wished that it would take a little bit longer. Clint had decided that Phil looked cold so he’d positioned himself on one side while Steve walked on the other side. They were close enough so that their arms brushed while they walked. Steve was telling Phil about Clint’s volunteering at the local archery club and how he’d come home with juice spilled down his shirt because his protégée Kate had decided that purple was a better colour on him than white. That had resulted in Steve in replacing all of Clint’s t-shirts and shirts with purple ones.

They arrived at Phil’s apartment and Steve looked adorably nervous, “Phil, can I kiss you goodnight?”

Phil blushed and he glanced at Clint who was leaning against the wall with a warm smile. Phil nodded shyly and Steve proceeded to give him the best kiss of his life. One hand cupped the back of his head gently and Steve’s mouth was warm and firm against his. It was only a short kiss and then Steve stepped back and Clint took his place. Clint’s kiss was a little bit dirtier and confident. Phil had just had the two best kisses of his life.

Phil blinked dazedly at them both, “I’ve had a really good time.”

Steve smiled, “Me too. So, you won’t mind if we call you?”

Phil shook his head, “Not at all. I’d probably be devastated if you didn’t.”

Phil’s brief moment of brutal honesty resulted in Steve and Clint wrapping him up in a group hug. Phil was weak in the knees and his heart was pounding. They both kissed his cheek, one on either side, and then they stepped back and reached for each other’s hands.

“Goodnight Phil.”

“Sleep tight.”

“’Night Steve. ‘Night Clint.”

Phil was falling heavily for them both and he was dizzy with the idea.

 

 

They went on ten dates over the next month because of their busy schedules before Clint brought up the subject with serious intent. They’d invited Phil for dinner at their apartment and Steve had cooked because apparently Clint’s skills were limited to salad and toast. When they’d finished eating they settled on the sofa and Clint said, “Phil, I really like you.”

Phil smiled because talking to Clint and Steve about how he felt wasn’t so terrifying once he’d had some time to get used to it. He answered, “I really like you as well and I really like you Steve. You’re both wonderful.”

Steve looked pleased and Clint smiled, “I’m glad. Dating two people at the same time makes it even more important to be open about everything. I knew a poly relationship who didn’t communicate very well and it was sad that it didn’t last very long. So, I told myself that if I was lucky enough to find two people who liked me enough I wouldn’t make a mistake like that. Steve and I have been together for about a year and a half so we know each other pretty well and we have the benefit of being friends with you before we started dating so we know you a little. Steve wants you to know that we both like you for various reasons. I know you’re not very comfortable with compliments, but if you’re willing to listen we’d like to tell you why we separately and together wanted to date you.”

Phil hadn’t expected the evening to take that turn but he’d read in his own research about how important open communication was in a poly relationship so he nodded, “I’d like to listen.”

Clint kissed his cheek, “Thank you. Alright, Steve can go first and I’m going to go and clean up in the kitchen. We figured that you might be more comfortable if we went one at a time.”

Phil was incredibly touched by how thoughtful they were. When Clint was in the other room with the door closed between them Phil faced Steve on the couch. Steve smiled warmly and gently clasped Phil’s hands in his own, “Thank you for this. It means a lot to Clint. If it helps he made me do the same sort of thing when we first started dating.”

Phil chuckled, “I’m not the most confident guy but you both mean a lot to me.”

Steve’s fingers brushed the back of Phil’s knuckles while he spoke, “I noticed you for the first time when you were in the library. It was really late and we were two of the only people there. You were concentrating so hard that you didn’t even notice that I sat down. Or at least, that’s what I thought at first and then I realised that you were asleep with your head propped up on your hand. I found it kind of adorable. The next time I saw you I was running and you were dragging Tony Stark back from what was obviously a wild party judging by the neon paint in his hair and the amount of beads wrapped around his neck. He was half asleep but he was still protesting and you didn’t have to raise your voice to make him listen to you. It was impressive because Tony is as stubborn as they get. After that I kept noticing you. Clint and I were lying in bed one night when he asked me if I knew the name of the guy in the attempted robbery video and I said your name without even pausing to think about it. That was when we first started talking about you. I felt guilty at first for noticing someone so much who wasn’t my boyfriend but Clint reassured me that it was alright. I’m lucky to be dating two of the most understanding men that I know.”

Phil was melting again and it took him a moment before he could speak, “That’s… I’ve never been called adorable before.”

Steve chuckled, “You are. I love your dark hair and the way you always look so sharply dressed. I bet that you’d be devastating in a suit.”

Phil made an embarrassing squeaking noise, “Well that’s… yeah. I… I love your art work. Pepper was raving about you and how she was trying to get Tony to go to your art show but he was busy so she made me go with her instead. I was completely amazed and then I saw you. When Pepper introduced me to you I thought that I was going to die because you were so handsome but humble about your work when she was praising your talent.”

It was Steve’s turn to blush, “Really? I thought that I was a complete idiot because I’d drunk far too much champagne due to my nerves.”

Phil shook his head, “Not at all. You were incredibly charming. You still are. When Pepper told me that you were dating Clint I was devastated but it was obvious that you were happy so I was determined to ignore my crush. I don’t want to hurt either of you.”

Steve pulled him in gently for a long, lingering kiss. When they pulled apart Phil was grinning widely and he cupped Steve’s jaw gently with his hand. He leaned forward for a brief kiss and then he said, “What are the odds that Clint had a glass against the door to listen to us?”

Steve laughed loudly, he loved Phil’s dry sense of humour, and he called out, “Hey, contestant number two. It’s your turn to talk to our hot date.”

Phil chuckled and Clint walked into the room. He pouted dramatically, “You two were having fun without me.”

They all laughed and Phil reached out with one hand to tug Clint down onto the sofa. Steve kissed Phil again before he went into the kitchen and when the door was closed Clint climbed onto Phil’s lap so that he was stretched out sideways on the couch, “This is nice.”

Phil smiled, “Yeah, it is. So, you had something you wanted to say to me?”

Clint nodded, “One, I’m serious about that video. Those martial arts skills are seriously hot. I must count for at least half of the views on that video. The other half are your freshman fan group. I’d complain but that would mean going head to head with Darcy Lewis and that girl fights dirty. Two, you have a surprisingly good singing voice and Stark will always be my friend because he gave you alcohol. You’re handsome, smart, hardworking and you make Steve and myself happy which is amazing. I was nervous when I first asked you to join us when we were obviously on a date and I was so damn happy when you said yes. I spent the entire time in complete awe that you were sitting with us. Also, you treat Natasha with respect and she’s practically family to me so I am so grateful for the way you treat her.”

Phil buried his face in the crook of Clint’s neck and mumbled, “You’re incredible. I was so embarrassed after Tony’s birthday party because I’m usually not like that at all. I’ve never been happier than before I found out that you both wanted me.”

Clint’s hands stroked through Phil’s dark hair, “I like making you happy. You have a really nice smile.”

Phil shifted to kiss Clint and Steve walked back into the room, “Good, you’re done.”

Steve lifted Clint’s legs so that he could sit next to Phil and then he let Clint’s legs fall back across his own. Steve took advantage of the break in Phil kissing Clint and he started kissing Phil himself. Clint’s hands were still in Phil’s hair and Steve had one hand on Clint’s thigh while his other hand gripped Phil’s shoulder gently. Phil had one hand supporting Clint’s back so that he didn’t slip down too far into an uncomfortable position and his other hand rested on Steve’s knee.

Steve sucked on Phil’s tongue and Phil shuddered from the action and the way Clint moaned at the sight. Clint leaned forward to nibble on Phil’s neck and shoulder. Phil’s hand slipped when Clint leaned forward so that he was cupping his ass but Clint obviously didn’t mind so Phil left it where it was. Phil wasn’t a virgin but he’d not had sex literally for years and he was in the middle of one of his favourite fantasies. His body reacted and he broke off the kiss to pant for breath. It was the furthest they’d gone together and Phil was having some trouble believing that it was really happening.

Then Clint’s hand boldly cupped Phil through his trousers and Phil jerked, “Fuck.”

Clint didn’t move his hand but he did stop gently biting his neck, “Is this okay?”

Phil nodded rapidly, “Yeah, it’s good but… it’s been a long time.”

Steve was pressed against Phil’s side and he toyed with the top buttons of Phil’s shirt, “If it’s too much you can tell us to stop at any time. We can wait or we don’t have to do this at all. A lot of poly relationships are just romantic without a sexual element.”

Clint was still cupping him but Phil rallied his legendary powers of concentration to consider what Steve was saying. Eventually Phil answered, “I want you both. I’m just nervous.”

Clint kissed his shoulder and Steve trailed kisses across his collarbone, “Is it alright if we move to the bedroom?”

Phil nodded and Clint moved his hand so that they could all stand up. They continued to kiss and pet each other lightly on their way to the bedroom. Once they’d stepped through the door Clint dived onto the huge, fluffy bed and pulled off his shirt, “That’s better.”

Phil was distracted enough by Clint’s shifting muscles and those sinfully strong arms that he didn’t register Steve behind him until Steve arms were wrapped around him and he was kissing his shoulders and back while he undid the buttons of his shirt. Clint was watching with dark eyes and Phil felt confident rather than shy under the attention.

Phil helped Steve finish undoing the buttons on his shirt and then he turned around in Steve’s arms to help him pull off his own. Steve’s hands slid down to Phil’s hips and they kissed. Clint reached out impatiently and snagged the back of Phil’s trousers with his hand so that Phil fell down onto the bed besides Clint with a laugh. He cupped Clint’s jaw lightly and rubbed his foot along Steve’s calf as he climbed onto the bed with them.

Clint undid Phil’s trousers and then he reached across and kissed Steve while he kicked off his own trousers. Clint murmured, “You’d better get the stuff, Steve.”

Steve kissed Clint again before he worked on getting his own pants off and he reached for the bedside drawers. Clint played with Phil’s nipples while Steve rummaged through the top drawer. Phil’s chest wasn’t particularly sensitive but it felt good and Clint asked, “How do you want to do this Phil? New guys choice.”

Phil snorted and twisted so that he was lying on top of Clint. He kissed and sucked lightly on Clint’s chest, learning what he liked, “Like I said, it’s been a while.”

Steve wrapped his arms around Phil and tugged gently so that his back was pressed against Steve’s chest and they were lying on their sides next to Clint. Clint was gorgeous when he was clothed but naked he was breath-taking and Steve was the same. Clint tugged on his own hard cock with one hand and Phil watched the movement hungrily. Clint practically purred, “Can I suck your cock?”

Phil’s cock jumped and he swallowed hard, “Yeah, that’d be… yeah.”

Clint looked happy that Phil couldn’t say much apart from yes. He built up the moment and Steve kissed his back while Clint trailed kisses down his front. By the time Clint’s mouth sucked on the head of his cock Phil was feeling drunk with arousal. Steve shifted so that he was still holding Phil but he could also see Clint.

Steve breathed, “Wow, you’re so good at that Clint.”

Clint hummed around Phil’s length and Phil’s hips bucked, “Shit, sorry.”

Steve smiled against Phil’s neck, “Don’t be. He likes it.”

Clint let go off Phil’s cock with a ‘pop’ and agreed in a rough voice that made Phil shudder, “We can show you how much I like it later.”

Phil tangled his hands in Clint’s hair, “God, you’re both perfect.”

Clint went back to sucking Phil’s cock and Steve was earnestly sweet, “We’re lucky to have you Phil.”

Phil spilled into Clint’s mouth when he insisted that it was okay and Phil slumped in post-orgasmic bliss. Clint was grinning and Steve let Phil sink back against the pillows so that he could move across and kiss Clint. Phil made a small needy noise when Steve licked his way into Clint’s mouth and said, “Mm, you taste good Phil.”

Phil’s cock twitched uselessly and he couldn’t do much more than watch as Steve sucked Clint’s cock and jacked himself off at the same time. Clint was holding Phil’s hand as he sighed and twitched and moaned while Steve took care of them both.

Afterwards they were spread out across the bed. Clint’s legs were tangled with Phil’s while his head rested against Steve’s chest. They were all smiling and Phil was still holding hands with Clint. Phil wanted to say something but he couldn’t find the right words so instead he just stayed silent and enjoyed the moment.

After their first time they didn’t always manage to get together and occasionally a date would involve only two of them whilst the other one was busy. Phil was growing more and more accustomed to the idea of having two gorgeous boyfriends. They didn’t spend nights together often and when they did they usually just slept.

 

 

One night they were all walking home from the movie theatre when a guy with a knife stepped approached them. He was obviously desperate and more than crazed if he thought that he could take on three guys with one small knife.

Before Steve or Clint could react Phil was stepping forwards, “Put down the knife, sir, and walk away now.”

The guy waved it around dangerously and Phil shook his head sadly. Then Phil grabbed the arm with the knife and with some precise movements he had the man disarmed and unconscious on the ground. Phil passed Steve the knife without a word and then he pulled out his phone.

He sent a quick text and said to his boyfriends, “I’m sorry about that. I texted Nick and he’ll take care of it. We should get inside.”

As soon as Phil stepped inside the apartment Clint crowded him against the wall and kissed him hungrily, “Oh god. You need to fuck me right now.”

Phil looked over Clint’s shoulder at Steve who just shrugged and sat down on the sofa. Phil watched to make sure that Steve placed the knife in the centre of the coffee table where they wouldn’t accidentally hurt themselves on the weapon before Nick could take it off Phil’s hands.

Phil gripped Clint’s hips and asked, “What?”

Clint groaned, “Are you serious? You just took down a mugger like you were some sort of badass expert and I didn’t know that I had an authority kink before you ordered him to put down the knife.”

Phil chuckled and Clint dragged him and Steve into the bedroom. It was the first time that Phil had fucked Clint although he’d watched Steve and Clint fuck before and the experience was mind blowing. Clint begged him to talk while he was thrusting into him so he praised him and gave him small orders to do things that Clint would usually do without any prompting. Afterwards Clint fell asleep easily with a happy, blissed out smile on his face. Phil curled around Steve who’d watched the entire time and he kissed him.

Phil hummed, “That was new.”

Steve nodded, “It was also hot. I was worried about you when you started to approach that guy.”

Phil rested his head against Steve’s chest, “I know. Nick’s dad is actually a government official in a letter agency that I’m not supposed to know about so he grew up learning to defend himself and others. When we first met, Nick took one look at me and dragged me to a martial arts class. I hate to actually use it but I didn’t want either of you to be hurt.”

Steve hugged Phil tightly, “Thank you for taking care of us.”

 

 

After six months of dating Phil knew without a doubt that he was in love with Clint and Steve. He was just unsure about how to tell them. So, he invited them to his apartment after he’d bargained with Nick for him to stay away for a while. Phil cooked and when they were almost finished he took a deep breath and was prepared to say the words that had been trying to escape him for a long time.

He was interrupted when his phone rang and he said, “I’m sorry.” Phil stood up and answered without looking at the caller I.D., “Hello?”

“Hello Phil.”

Phil froze, “Jasper? What the fuck?”

“Surprise. I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for days. I finally called Maria and used one of my free passes to get your number. Have you missed me? I’ve missed you. I’m calling to say that you were right. Ward and I are over.”

Phil had dreamed about hearing that. He’d planned all of his responses and every scenario. However, now that it had finally happened he felt eerily calm and his voice was tight, “I’m sorry to hear that Jasper. I’m sure that you’ll miss fucking him. Please don’t call me again and stop blackmailing my friends. Oh, and one more thing. Cheating on me was the best thing that you could’ve ever done because you made me miserable. Have a nice life Jasper.”

Phil hung up and his phone clattered to the floor as it slipped through his nerveless fingers. Phil had never been so glad to not be on his own as Steve and Clint stood up and hugged him tightly. Phil rested his head on Steve’s shoulder and tangled his hands in Clint’s hair.

He mumbled, “I’m okay.”

They led him to the sofa and Phil sat in the middle of them both. Clint prompted, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Phil sighed, “Jasper… he was my last boyfriend. We got together when I turned sixteen and I thought that he liked me. It turned out that Jasper just couldn’t handle being alone. He’d stay with someone until someone else caught his eye. In my case he didn’t break up with me before he started fucking Grant Ward. God, I hate that guy. Not because he encouraged Jasper to cheat on me but because he is a genuine dick with absolutely no sense of humour. I’ve not spoken to him since I found him with his pants down with Ward’s mouth on his dick.”

Clint looked like he was ready to murder someone, “He thought that after all this time you’d just be waiting for him to call?”

Phil shrugged, “I guess.”

Clint and Steve wrapped themselves around Phil and showered him with kisses. Clint tickled Phil until he was laughing breathlessly and Steve said, “You are better than any man I know.”

Clint pouted dramatically, “Hey!”

Phil relaxed and hugged them both tightly, “Thank you and I was going to tell you something before he called… I love you both.”

Clint and Steve’s smiles were blinding and then they were all kissing. Clint and Steve both breathed, “I love you too.”

 

 

On their one year anniversary Phil was sitting in the same booth of the same diner where Clint had first invited him to join him and Steve. Steve was holding Phil’s hand while he laughed at the story Clint was telling and Clint was draped across Phil on his other side.

When their waitress approached them Clint spoke up first, “Hey, Darcy.”

Darcy was looking at them with wide eyes, “Are you… oh my god are you all together? Holy shit! I didn’t know this! How did I not know this? Damn it. Skye is so fired for gossip duty.”

Phil was completely flummoxed, “Umm.”

Darcy leaned closer, “You stopped that guy from stealing my I-pod. I don’t think that I ever thanked you for that.”

Clint wrapped himself across Phil more pointedly, “He’s ours Darcy. Don’t even think about trying to steal him. He’s immune to fabulous boobs and badass women. He’s never even checked out Natasha.”

Darcy looked impressed, “Really? Wow, but it’s Natasha!”

Clint nodded, “Exactly.”

Phil rolled his eyes, “This is lovely, really, but you promised me food.”

Darcy eventually took their order in between mumbling about Natasha’s sex appeal and Skye’s incompetence. When they were alone again Clint asked, “Why was she talking about her I-pod?”

Phil sighed, “About a month before I met you for the first time a guy was stalking Darcy and her friend, Jane. I was walking home when I saw them being attacked. I stopped the guy and he was arrested. Darcy was freaked out which was completely understandable and she kept ranting about her I-pod.”

Clint shook his head, “You are just completely perfect.”

Phil cuddled against Steve and kissed Clint. He was happier than ever and he replied honestly, “Not without you.”


End file.
